The courtyard buzzed with restless energy. Students stood in clumps, eyeing one another with the same mix of suspicion and curiosity that had followed them since arrival. Instructor David leaned lazily against a tree at the edge of the grounds, his gourd swaying slightly as he drained its contents.
"Groups of four," he barked suddenly, startling a few nearby students. "Sort yourselves out. You've got ten minutes."
The scramble began.
Darrow Ironheart didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, running a hand through his sandy hair, eyes burning like twin coals.
"I'm going alone," he announced.
Several heads turned. Cade's included.
Darrow didn't bother elaborating. "I need to grow. I can't do that clinging to someone else's shadow." His gaze flicked to Cade, then away. "Especially yours."
With that, he strode toward the edge of the crowd, arms crossed, already distancing himself from the chaos of forming teams.
Cade nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
Her shoulders relaxed, and she offered a small smile. "Thanks."
Nearby, William fidgeted awkwardly, watching the shifting alliances with wide eyes. His notebook was clenched tight in both hands. He was alone, and it showed. Cade's gaze found him—nervous, hesitant, waiting for someone to choose him.
Their eyes met.
Then William quickly looked away, pretending to be reading something from his notes. Cade exhaled through his nose and raised a hand. "William."
William blinked, surprised. "Me?"
"Yeah. You in?"
A grin broke across William's face, and he hurried over, nearly tripping in his excitement. "Are you sure? I—I mean, there are probably better alchemists out here and—"
"You're fine," Cade said simply.
William looked like he might cry from relief. "Th-thank you. I won't let you down. I've got some potions that might help in—"
"Save it for the mission," Cade said, already watching others moving toward them.
Now that his group had three members, interest from others began to surge. Cade wasn't surprised. People were fickle. The moment someone looked strong, others flocked to them.
A tall boy clad in red robes approached and was promptly turned away by Lysa.
Two more tried to pitch themselves—one a speed mage, another a beast summoner—but Cade shook his head.
Then someone else caught his eye.
A girl with violet eyes and twin pigtails stood nearby, arms folded confidently. She wore a dark uniform with a silver trim and looked like she had been watching them for some time.
Cade tilted his head. "You. Name?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself first?"
He waited.
She sighed. "Mira. Mira Vane."
"What can you do, Mira Vane?"
"I'm a mage," she said proudly. "Telekinesis. I can control up to six different objects at once. More if I push myself."
Cade nodded. "Welcome aboard."
She smirked. "Smart choice."
With that, Cade's team of four was complete: Lysa, William, and Mira. Around them, the other students had begun locking in their teams as well.
Instructor David raised a hand, clearly unimpressed with the clamor. "Good. You've got your little cliques now. Let's see if you actually learned anything."
He pulled a stack of parchment from his coat and tossed them in the air. Pages fluttered down like oversized leaves, landing in the hands of students.
"Write one thing you learned about your teammates. I'll give you five minutes."
The courtyard fell into a quiet murmur as quills scratched paper.
Cade glanced down at his page and quickly scribbled a line for each teammate:
Lysa: Focused and calm under pressure. Good with fire.
William: Obsesses over details. Could be useful.
Mira: Proud, but competent. Needs challenge.
When the time was up, the pages were collected into a bundle and handed to David.
He stared at the stack for a moment, then casually tore it in half.
A collective groan echoed from the students.
David shrugged. "That was just to buy me time to refill my gourd."
Cade wasn't surprised. Lysa sighed. William looked heartbroken.
David tossed the papers aside and cracked his neck. "Now. Your real assignment."
The courtyard quieted again.
"Instructors are stationed throughout the academy forest. Each one carries a plaque." He held up a small black token with the academy seal on it. "Your job? Bring me one. Doesn't matter how. Doesn't matter who you get it from. Doesn't even matter if you steal it."
His grin widened. "You've got one week."
Murmurs erupted. Some students looked excited, others panicked.
"Anything goes," David said. "Just don't die. That would be a paperwork nightmare."
He turned and walked away without another word, sipping from his gourd like it was the most important thing in the world.
As the students started buzzing with plans, Cade looked around. He noticed something strange—Talek stood not far away, dressed in his family's formal colors beneath a travel cloak. Aela stood beside him, twirling a thin whip in her hand like it was second nature. Her gaze locked briefly with Cade's—cool and unreadable.
When Talek stepped forward during the earlier testing, he hadn't even raised a hand. The dummy, forged from reinforced aether-steel, stood unblemished from most students' attacks.
Until Talek simply stared.
Lightning burst forth with a deafening crack, crossing the distance in a blink and leaving a blackened crater in the dummy's chest.
Aela followed soon after. Her whip lashed out—and at its peak, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, coiling along the leather before slamming into the target. Another dent.
Only a few had left marks. The Ironheart siblings. The Wenbloods. A quiet girl with earth magic who'd used her fists like stone hammers. And…
Everyone had turned to Cade when his name was called last.
He stepped forward, calm but aware of every eye on him.
His blade remained sheathed.
And yet, when he moved, it was with breathless speed.
A single draw—faster than sight.
The strike left a thin, clean mark across the dummy's neck.
Small, Precise.
But it was a cut. Where others had left only scratches.
Even Talek had paused, just for a moment, before walking away.
Now, as teams moved toward the forest path, whispers filled the air.
Didn't matter though my path was already set in stone 7 years ago.